XVI

4 δὴ] δεῖ P || βραχεῖα EM: βραχέα F: βραχεῖαν PV || συλλαβὴν PV 5 γράμμα βραχὺ EF: βραχὺ γράμμα V: γράμμα P || προστεθήτω EPV: προστιθέτω M: τίς προσθέτω F 8 ἀκαρὴ P: ἀκαρεὶ MV: om. EF || προστεθήτω EPMV: προσθέτω F 9 ἓν EF: om. PMV 15 ἄλογον EFV: ἀνάλογον PM 19 μείζονα ἂν F 20 μειουμένη] μειουμένης P: μειουμένων M || γ’ οὖν αὖθις P, M: τε οὖν αὖθις F: τε αὖ πάλιν E: δ’ αὖ πάλιν V 21 ἓν PMV: om. EF 22 τοὔλαττον] τὸ λεῖπον PM || τίς ex τί corr. F: ἣ τίς PM, V 23 αὐτῶν F: ἑαυτῶν PMV 24 ε̄ μηκυνομένας ... (25) γραμμάτων om. F || πέντε Uptonus, ε̄ Us.: ἑπτὰ PM: δ̄ V2. Cp. Quintil. ix. 4. 84 “sit in hoc quoque aliquid fortasse momenti, quod et longis longiores et brevibus sunt breviores syllabae; ut, quamvis neque plus duobus temporibus neque uno minus habere videantur, ideoque in metris omnes breves longaeque inter sese sint pares, lateat tamen nescio quid, quod supersit aut desit. nam versuum propria condicio est, ideoque in his quaedam etiam communes.”8.ἀκαρῆ: cp.de Isocr.c. 20 ἀκαρῆ δέ τινα ... ἐνθυμήματα.12.τρισὶν ... προσθήκαις: the meaning apparently is that the first prefix increases the length by one augmentation; the second, by two; the third, by three. αὕτη = ἡ συλλαβήστρόφ-.22.ἐπὶ τοὔλαττον: cp. Aristot.Eth. Nic.ii. 7. 12 ἡ δὲ προσποίησις ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον ἀλαζονεία καὶ ὁ ἔχων αὐτὴν ἀλαζών, ἡ δ’ ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλαττον εἰρωνεία καὶ εἴρων [ὁ ἔχων], iv. 7. 14 οἱ δ’ εἴρωνες ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλαττον λέγοντες χαριέστεροι μὲν τὰ ἤθη φαίνονται; and Long.de Sublim.c. 38 αἱ δ’ ὑπερβολαὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον, οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ τοὔλαττον.26.θεωρεῖσθαιhere (and in2043,2109) may perhaps supply a parallel (though not a complete one) of the kind desired inClassical Quarterlyi. 41 n. 1.

2. Cp. Quintil. ix. 4. 84 “sit in hoc quoque aliquid fortasse momenti, quod et longis longiores et brevibus sunt breviores syllabae; ut, quamvis neque plus duobus temporibus neque uno minus habere videantur, ideoque in metris omnes breves longaeque inter sese sint pares, lateat tamen nescio quid, quod supersit aut desit. nam versuum propria condicio est, ideoque in his quaedam etiam communes.”

8.ἀκαρῆ: cp.de Isocr.c. 20 ἀκαρῆ δέ τινα ... ἐνθυμήματα.

12.τρισὶν ... προσθήκαις: the meaning apparently is that the first prefix increases the length by one augmentation; the second, by two; the third, by three. αὕτη = ἡ συλλαβήστρόφ-.

22.ἐπὶ τοὔλαττον: cp. Aristot.Eth. Nic.ii. 7. 12 ἡ δὲ προσποίησις ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον ἀλαζονεία καὶ ὁ ἔχων αὐτὴν ἀλαζών, ἡ δ’ ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλαττον εἰρωνεία καὶ εἴρων [ὁ ἔχων], iv. 7. 14 οἱ δ’ εἴρωνες ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλαττον λέγοντες χαριέστεροι μὲν τὰ ἤθη φαίνονται; and Long.de Sublim.c. 38 αἱ δ’ ὑπερβολαὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον, οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ τοὔλαττον.

26.θεωρεῖσθαιhere (and in2043,2109) may perhaps supply a parallel (though not a complete one) of the kind desired inClassical Quarterlyi. 41 n. 1.

βραχείας καὶ μακρὰ μακρᾶς καὶ οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει δύναμινοὔτ’ ἐν λόγοις ψιλοῖς οὔτ’ ἐν ποιήμασιν ἢ μέλεσιν διὰ μέτρωνἢ ῥυθμῶν κατασκευαζομένοις πᾶσα βραχεῖα καὶ πᾶσα μακρά.πρῶτον μὲν δὴ θεώρημα τοῦτο τῶν ἐν ταῖς συλλαβαῖςπαθῶν· ἕτερον δὲ τοιόνδε· τῶν γραμμάτων πολλὰς ἐχόντων 5διαφορὰς οὐ μόνον περὶ τὰ μήκη καὶ τὰς βραχύτητας ἀλλὰκαὶ περὶ τοὺς ἤχους, ὑπὲρ ὧν ὀλίγῳ πρότερον εἴρηκα, πᾶσαἀνάγκη καὶ τὰς ἐκ τούτων συνισταμένας συλλαβὰς ἢ διὰτούτων πλεκομένας ἅμα τήν τε ἰδίαν ἑκάστου σῴζειν δύναμινκαὶ τὴν κοινὴν ἁπάντων, ἣ γίνεται διὰ τῆς κράσεώς τε καὶ 10παραθέσεως αὐτῶν· ἐξ ὧν μαλακαί τε φωναὶ γίνονται καὶσκληραὶ καὶ λεῖαι καὶ τραχεῖαι, γλυκαίνουσαί τε τὴν ἀκοὴνκαὶ πικραίνουσαι, καὶ στύφουσαι καὶ διαχέουσαι, καὶ πᾶσανἄλλην κατασκευάζουσαι διάθεσιν φυσικήν· αὗται δ’ εἰσὶ μυρίαιτὸ πλῆθος ὅσαι. 15ταῦτα δὴ καταμαθόντες οἱ χαριέστατοι ποιητῶν τε καὶσυγγραφέων τὰ μὲν αὐτοὶ κατασκευάζουσιν ὀνόματα συμπλέκοντεςἐπιτηδείως ἀλλήλοις, τὰ δὲ γράμματα καὶ τὰς συλλαβὰςοἰκείας οἷς ἂν βούλωνται παραστῆσαι πάθεσιν ποικίλωςφιλοτεχνοῦσιν, ὡς ποιεῖ πολλάκις Ὅμηρος, ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν 20προσηνέμων αἰγιαλῶν τῇ παρεκτάσει τῶν συλλαβῶν τὸνἄπαυστον ἐκφαίνειν βουλόμενος ἦχονἠϊόνες βοόωσιν ἐρευγομένης ἁλὸς ἔξω·[155]may differ from another short, and one long from another long, and that every short and every long syllable has not the same quality either in prose, or in poems, or in songs, whether these be metrically or rhythmically constructed.The foregoing is the first aspect under which we view the different qualities of syllables. The next is as follows. As letters have many points of difference, not only in length and shortness, but also in sound—points of which I have spoken a little while ago—it must necessarily follow that the syllables, which are combinations or interweavings of letters, preserve at once both the individual properties of each component, and the joint properties of all, which spring from their fusion and juxtaposition. The sounds thus formed are soft or hard, smooth or rough, sweet to the ear or harsh to it; they make us pull a wry face, or cause our mouths to water, or bring about any of the countless other physical conditions that are possible.These facts the greatest poets and prose-writers have carefully noted, and not only do they deliberately arrange their words and weave them into appropriate patterns, but often, with curious and loving skill, they adapt the very syllables and letters to the emotions which they wish to represent. This is Homer’s way when he is describing a wind-swept beach and wishes to express the ceaseless reverberation by the prolongation of syllables:—Echo the cliffs, as bursteth the sea-surge down on the strand.[131]

ἠϊόνες βοόωσιν ἐρευγομένης ἁλὸς ἔξω·

[155]may differ from another short, and one long from another long, and that every short and every long syllable has not the same quality either in prose, or in poems, or in songs, whether these be metrically or rhythmically constructed.The foregoing is the first aspect under which we view the different qualities of syllables. The next is as follows. As letters have many points of difference, not only in length and shortness, but also in sound—points of which I have spoken a little while ago—it must necessarily follow that the syllables, which are combinations or interweavings of letters, preserve at once both the individual properties of each component, and the joint properties of all, which spring from their fusion and juxtaposition. The sounds thus formed are soft or hard, smooth or rough, sweet to the ear or harsh to it; they make us pull a wry face, or cause our mouths to water, or bring about any of the countless other physical conditions that are possible.These facts the greatest poets and prose-writers have carefully noted, and not only do they deliberately arrange their words and weave them into appropriate patterns, but often, with curious and loving skill, they adapt the very syllables and letters to the emotions which they wish to represent. This is Homer’s way when he is describing a wind-swept beach and wishes to express the ceaseless reverberation by the prolongation of syllables:—Echo the cliffs, as bursteth the sea-surge down on the strand.[131]

[155]

may differ from another short, and one long from another long, and that every short and every long syllable has not the same quality either in prose, or in poems, or in songs, whether these be metrically or rhythmically constructed.

The foregoing is the first aspect under which we view the different qualities of syllables. The next is as follows. As letters have many points of difference, not only in length and shortness, but also in sound—points of which I have spoken a little while ago—it must necessarily follow that the syllables, which are combinations or interweavings of letters, preserve at once both the individual properties of each component, and the joint properties of all, which spring from their fusion and juxtaposition. The sounds thus formed are soft or hard, smooth or rough, sweet to the ear or harsh to it; they make us pull a wry face, or cause our mouths to water, or bring about any of the countless other physical conditions that are possible.

These facts the greatest poets and prose-writers have carefully noted, and not only do they deliberately arrange their words and weave them into appropriate patterns, but often, with curious and loving skill, they adapt the very syllables and letters to the emotions which they wish to represent. This is Homer’s way when he is describing a wind-swept beach and wishes to express the ceaseless reverberation by the prolongation of syllables:—

Echo the cliffs, as bursteth the sea-surge down on the strand.[131]

1 οὐ F: οὔτε PMV 2 μέτρων ἢ ῥυθμῶν F: ῥυθμῶν ἢ μέτρων PMV 8 καὶ EF: om. PMV 10 καὶ (posterius) EF: καὶ τῆς PMV 13 πᾶσαν EFM: πᾶσαν τὴν PV 16 δὴ PMV: ἤδη EF 17 αὐτοὶ EF: αὐτοί τε PMV 18 τὰ δὲ FM: τὰ EPV 19 οἰκείας F: δὲ οἰκείας E: οἰκείως PM: δὲ οἰκείως V 20 τῶν EF: om. PMV 21 τὸν om. P 22 ἐκφαίνειν EF: ἐμφαίνειν PMV1. H. Richards (Classical Reviewxix. 252) suggests οὔτι, in place of the οὔτε of PMV and the οὐ of F.3. If this passage (from1524 up to this point) be taken in connexion with one from the scholia to Hephaestion and another from Marius Victorinus (see Goodell’sGreek Metricpp. 6, 7), we find the following difference indicated as between the school of themetriciand that of therhythmici: “The metrici considered the long syllable as always twice the length of the short; whatever variation from this ratio the varying constitution of syllables produced was treated as too slight to affect the general flow of verse. The rhythmici, on the other hand, held that long syllables differed greatly from each other in quantity, and that short syllables differed from each other in some degree, apart from variations in tempo. The doctrine of ἀλογία or irrationality, whereby some syllables were longer or shorter by a small undefined amount than the complete long, was associated by some with this theory, as in a passage of Dionysius Halic. (C. V.c. 17 οἱ δ’ ἀπὸ τῆς μακρᾶς ... τῶν πάνυ καλῶν οἱ ῥυθμοί: cp. c. 20ibid.). Some, at least, affirmed also that a single consonant required half the time of a short vowel, and that two consonants or a double consonant required the same time as a short vowel; those writers accordingly set up a scale of measurement for syllables, simply counting the number of time-units required, on this theory, by the constituent vowels and consonants,” GoodellGreek Metricpp. 8, 9.20. Cp. the use of the longoin such passages as Virg.Aen.iii. 670 ff. “verum ubi nulla datur dextra adfectare potestas | nec potis Ionios fluctus aequare sequendo, | clamorem immensum tollit, quo pontus et omnes | contremuere undae”; v. 244 ff. “tum satus Anchisa cunctis ex more vocatis | victorem magna praeconis voce Cloanthum | declarat viridique advelat tempora lauro, | muneraque in navis ternos optare iuvencos | vinaque et argenti magnum dat ferre talentum.” See also Demetr. p. 42 for A. C. Bradley’s comments on Virgil’s line “tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore.”23. Aristotle (Poeticsc. 22) points out that it would be disastrous to substitute the trivial κράζουσιν forβοόωσινin this passage.—With regard to the sound of the line cp. schol. onIl.xvii. 265 καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν κῦμα μέγα θαλάσσης ἐπιφερόμενον ποταμοῦ ῥεύματι καὶ τῷ ἀνακόπτεσθαι βρυχώμενον, καὶ τὰς ἑκατέρωθεν τοῦ ποταμοῦ θαλασσίας ἠϊόνας ἠχούσας, ὃ ἐμιμήσατο διὰ τῆς ἐπεκτάσεως τοῦβοόωσιν. αὕτη ἡ εἰκὼν Πλάτωνος ἔκαυσε τὰ ποιήματα· οὕτως ἐναργέστερον τοῦ ὁρωμένου τὸ ἀκουόμενον παρέστησεν ... τῆς γὰρ ἐπαλλήλου τῶν ὑδάτων ἐκβολῆς ἡ τοῦ “βοόωσιν” ἀναδίπλωσις ὁμοίαν ἀπετέλεσε συνῳδίαν.

1. H. Richards (Classical Reviewxix. 252) suggests οὔτι, in place of the οὔτε of PMV and the οὐ of F.

3. If this passage (from1524 up to this point) be taken in connexion with one from the scholia to Hephaestion and another from Marius Victorinus (see Goodell’sGreek Metricpp. 6, 7), we find the following difference indicated as between the school of themetriciand that of therhythmici: “The metrici considered the long syllable as always twice the length of the short; whatever variation from this ratio the varying constitution of syllables produced was treated as too slight to affect the general flow of verse. The rhythmici, on the other hand, held that long syllables differed greatly from each other in quantity, and that short syllables differed from each other in some degree, apart from variations in tempo. The doctrine of ἀλογία or irrationality, whereby some syllables were longer or shorter by a small undefined amount than the complete long, was associated by some with this theory, as in a passage of Dionysius Halic. (C. V.c. 17 οἱ δ’ ἀπὸ τῆς μακρᾶς ... τῶν πάνυ καλῶν οἱ ῥυθμοί: cp. c. 20ibid.). Some, at least, affirmed also that a single consonant required half the time of a short vowel, and that two consonants or a double consonant required the same time as a short vowel; those writers accordingly set up a scale of measurement for syllables, simply counting the number of time-units required, on this theory, by the constituent vowels and consonants,” GoodellGreek Metricpp. 8, 9.

20. Cp. the use of the longoin such passages as Virg.Aen.iii. 670 ff. “verum ubi nulla datur dextra adfectare potestas | nec potis Ionios fluctus aequare sequendo, | clamorem immensum tollit, quo pontus et omnes | contremuere undae”; v. 244 ff. “tum satus Anchisa cunctis ex more vocatis | victorem magna praeconis voce Cloanthum | declarat viridique advelat tempora lauro, | muneraque in navis ternos optare iuvencos | vinaque et argenti magnum dat ferre talentum.” See also Demetr. p. 42 for A. C. Bradley’s comments on Virgil’s line “tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore.”

23. Aristotle (Poeticsc. 22) points out that it would be disastrous to substitute the trivial κράζουσιν forβοόωσινin this passage.—With regard to the sound of the line cp. schol. onIl.xvii. 265 καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν κῦμα μέγα θαλάσσης ἐπιφερόμενον ποταμοῦ ῥεύματι καὶ τῷ ἀνακόπτεσθαι βρυχώμενον, καὶ τὰς ἑκατέρωθεν τοῦ ποταμοῦ θαλασσίας ἠϊόνας ἠχούσας, ὃ ἐμιμήσατο διὰ τῆς ἐπεκτάσεως τοῦβοόωσιν. αὕτη ἡ εἰκὼν Πλάτωνος ἔκαυσε τὰ ποιήματα· οὕτως ἐναργέστερον τοῦ ὁρωμένου τὸ ἀκουόμενον παρέστησεν ... τῆς γὰρ ἐπαλλήλου τῶν ὑδάτων ἐκβολῆς ἡ τοῦ “βοόωσιν” ἀναδίπλωσις ὁμοίαν ἀπετέλεσε συνῳδίαν.

ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ τετυφλωμένου Κύκλωπος τό τε τῆς ἀλγηδόνοςμέγεθος καὶ τὴν διὰ τῶν χειρῶν βραδεῖαν ἔρευναν τῆς τοῦσπηλαίου θύραςΚύκλωψ δὲ στενάχων τε καὶ ὠδίνων ὀδύνῃσιν,χερσὶ ψηλαφόων· 5καὶ ἄλλοθί που δέησιν ἐνδείξασθαι βουλόμενος πολλὴν καὶκατεσπουδασμένηνοὐδ’ εἴ κεν μάλα πολλὰ πάθῃ ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων,προπροκυλινδόμενος πατρὸς Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.μυρία ἔστιν εὑρεῖν παρ’ αὐτῷ τοιαῦτα, χρόνου μῆκος ἢ 10σώματος μέγεθος ἢ πάθους ὑπερβολὴν ἢ στάσεως ἠρεμίαν ἢτῶν παραπλησίων τι δηλοῦντα παρ’ οὐδὲν οὕτως ἕτερον ἢ τὰςτῶν συλλαβῶν κατασκευάς· καὶ ἄλλα τούτοις ἐναντίως εἰργασμέναεἰς βραχύτητα καὶ τάχος καὶ σπουδὴν καὶ τὰ τούτοιςὁμοιογενῆ, ὡς ἔχει ταυτί 15ἀμβλήδην γοόωσα μετὰ δμωῇσιν ἔειπενκαὶἡνίοχοι δ’ ἔκπληγεν, ἐπεὶ ἴδον ἀκάματον πῦρ.ἐφ’ ἧς μὲν γὰρ ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος δηλοῦται συγκοπὴ καὶ τὸτῆς φωνῆς ἄτακτον, ἐφ’ ὧν δ’ ἡ τῆς διανοίας ἔκστασις καὶ τὸ 20τοῦ δείματος ἀπροσδόκητον· ποιεῖ δὲ τούτων ἑκάτερον ἡ τῶνσυλλαβῶν τε καὶ γραμμάτων ἐλάττωσις.[157]Or again when, after the Cyclops has been blinded, Homer desires to express the greatness of his anguish, and his hands’ slow search for the door of the cavern:—The Cyclops, with groan on groan and throes of anguish sore,With hands slow-groping.[132]And when in another place he wishes to indicate a long impassioned prayer:—Not though in an agony Phoebus the Smiter from Far should entreatLow-grovelling at Father Zeus the Aegis-bearer’s feet.[133]Such lines are to be found without number in Homer, representing length of time, hugeness of body, stress of emotion, immobility of position, or similar effects, simply by the manipulation of the syllables. Conversely, others are framed to give the impression of abruptness, speed, hurry, and the like. For instance,Wailing with broken sobs amidst of her handmaids she cried,[134]andAnd scared were the charioteers, that tireless flame to behold.[135]In the first passage the stoppage of Andromache’s breath is indicated, and the tremor of her voice; in the second, the startled dismay of the charioteers, and the unexpectedness of the terror. The effect in both cases is due to the docking of syllables and letters.

ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ τετυφλωμένου Κύκλωπος τό τε τῆς ἀλγηδόνοςμέγεθος καὶ τὴν διὰ τῶν χειρῶν βραδεῖαν ἔρευναν τῆς τοῦσπηλαίου θύρας

Κύκλωψ δὲ στενάχων τε καὶ ὠδίνων ὀδύνῃσιν,χερσὶ ψηλαφόων· 5

καὶ ἄλλοθί που δέησιν ἐνδείξασθαι βουλόμενος πολλὴν καὶκατεσπουδασμένην

οὐδ’ εἴ κεν μάλα πολλὰ πάθῃ ἑκάεργος Ἀπόλλων,προπροκυλινδόμενος πατρὸς Διὸς αἰγιόχοιο.

μυρία ἔστιν εὑρεῖν παρ’ αὐτῷ τοιαῦτα, χρόνου μῆκος ἢ 10σώματος μέγεθος ἢ πάθους ὑπερβολὴν ἢ στάσεως ἠρεμίαν ἢτῶν παραπλησίων τι δηλοῦντα παρ’ οὐδὲν οὕτως ἕτερον ἢ τὰςτῶν συλλαβῶν κατασκευάς· καὶ ἄλλα τούτοις ἐναντίως εἰργασμέναεἰς βραχύτητα καὶ τάχος καὶ σπουδὴν καὶ τὰ τούτοιςὁμοιογενῆ, ὡς ἔχει ταυτί 15

ἀμβλήδην γοόωσα μετὰ δμωῇσιν ἔειπεν

καὶ

ἡνίοχοι δ’ ἔκπληγεν, ἐπεὶ ἴδον ἀκάματον πῦρ.

ἐφ’ ἧς μὲν γὰρ ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος δηλοῦται συγκοπὴ καὶ τὸτῆς φωνῆς ἄτακτον, ἐφ’ ὧν δ’ ἡ τῆς διανοίας ἔκστασις καὶ τὸ 20τοῦ δείματος ἀπροσδόκητον· ποιεῖ δὲ τούτων ἑκάτερον ἡ τῶνσυλλαβῶν τε καὶ γραμμάτων ἐλάττωσις.

[157]Or again when, after the Cyclops has been blinded, Homer desires to express the greatness of his anguish, and his hands’ slow search for the door of the cavern:—The Cyclops, with groan on groan and throes of anguish sore,With hands slow-groping.[132]And when in another place he wishes to indicate a long impassioned prayer:—Not though in an agony Phoebus the Smiter from Far should entreatLow-grovelling at Father Zeus the Aegis-bearer’s feet.[133]Such lines are to be found without number in Homer, representing length of time, hugeness of body, stress of emotion, immobility of position, or similar effects, simply by the manipulation of the syllables. Conversely, others are framed to give the impression of abruptness, speed, hurry, and the like. For instance,Wailing with broken sobs amidst of her handmaids she cried,[134]andAnd scared were the charioteers, that tireless flame to behold.[135]In the first passage the stoppage of Andromache’s breath is indicated, and the tremor of her voice; in the second, the startled dismay of the charioteers, and the unexpectedness of the terror. The effect in both cases is due to the docking of syllables and letters.

[157]

Or again when, after the Cyclops has been blinded, Homer desires to express the greatness of his anguish, and his hands’ slow search for the door of the cavern:—

The Cyclops, with groan on groan and throes of anguish sore,With hands slow-groping.[132]

And when in another place he wishes to indicate a long impassioned prayer:—

Not though in an agony Phoebus the Smiter from Far should entreatLow-grovelling at Father Zeus the Aegis-bearer’s feet.[133]

Such lines are to be found without number in Homer, representing length of time, hugeness of body, stress of emotion, immobility of position, or similar effects, simply by the manipulation of the syllables. Conversely, others are framed to give the impression of abruptness, speed, hurry, and the like. For instance,

Wailing with broken sobs amidst of her handmaids she cried,[134]

and

And scared were the charioteers, that tireless flame to behold.[135]

In the first passage the stoppage of Andromache’s breath is indicated, and the tremor of her voice; in the second, the startled dismay of the charioteers, and the unexpectedness of the terror. The effect in both cases is due to the docking of syllables and letters.

1 τετυφλωμένου E: τετυφωμένου F: τυφλουμένου PMV 2 τὴν διὰ EMV: διὰ τὴν FP 8 πάθῃ EF: πάθοι PMV Hom. 10 εὑρεῖν om. F 11 ἠρεμίαν] ὁμιλίαν FM 15 ὁμοιογενῆ F: ὁμο*γενῆ P: ὁμογενῆ MV 16 δμωιῆισιν P: Τρῴῃσιν Hom. 18 ἔκπληγον PMV 19 ἧς F: ὧν PMV 20 ἔκστασις FM: ἔκτασις PV 21 δείγματος PV1.ἀλγηδών: a somewhat poetical word, though used by Herodotus and Plato. Its use in a highly figurative passage of Herodotus (v. 18) is censured in thede Sublim.iv. 7 καὶ τὸ Ἡροδότειον οὐ πόρρω, τὸ φάναι τὰς καλὰς γυναῖκας “ἀλγηδόνας ὀφθαλμῶν.”4. In these lines, and in15423, the reiteration of the long ω, and of the long η, is particularly to be noted.9.προπροκυλινδόμενος: imitated by Ap. Rhod.Argon.i. 386 προπροβιαζόμενοι, and ii. 595 προπροκαταΐγδην. Cp.Odyss.xvii. 524 ἔνθεν δὴ νῦν δεῦρο τόδ’ ἵκετο πήματα πάσχων, | προπροκυλινδόμενος.10.χρόνου μῆκος: cp. Virg.Aen.i. 272 “hic iam ter centum totos regnabitur annos,” and iii. 284 “interea magnum sol circumvolvitur annum.”11.σώματος μέγεθος: cp. Virg.Aen.vii. 783 “ipse inter primos praestanti corpore Turnus.”—πάθους ὑπερβολήν: cp. Virg.Aen.ix. 475 “at subitus miserae calor ossa reliquit, | excussi manibus radii revolutaque pensa.”12. A blending of (1) παρ’ οὐδὲν οὕτως ὡς, (2) παρ’ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἤ.16. Cp. Virg.Aen.ix. 477 “evolat infelix et femineo ululatu | scissa comam muros amens atque agmina cursu | prima petit,” etc.18. Batteux (Réflexionspp. 219-21) quotes and analyzes the well-known passage of Racine’sPhèdre(v. 6) which begins: “Un effroyable cri, sorti du fond des flots, | Des airs en ce moment a troublé le repos.” He says: “Dans le dernier morceau de Racine qui peint l’objet terrible, il n’y a pas un vers qui n’ait le caractère de la chose exprimée. Ce sont des sons aigus et perçans, des syllabes chargée de consonnes, et de consonnes épaisses:sorti du fond des flots; notre sang s’est glacé; L’onde approche, se brise; Son front large est armé. Des mots qui se heurtent:effroyable cri; cri redoutable; le crin s’est hérissé. D’autres mots larges et spacieux:Cependant, sur le dos de la plaine liquide, S’élève à gros bouillons(S’élèverejeté à l’autre vers comme celui-ci de Despréaux,S’élève un lit de plume)une montaigne humide; cornes menaçantes; écailles jaunissantes; Indomptable taureau, dragon impétueux. Des syllabes qui se renversent les unes sur le autres:Sa croupe se recourbe en replis tortueux. Ce vers, dans un poëme ancient, eût été célébré de siècle en siècle.”

1.ἀλγηδών: a somewhat poetical word, though used by Herodotus and Plato. Its use in a highly figurative passage of Herodotus (v. 18) is censured in thede Sublim.iv. 7 καὶ τὸ Ἡροδότειον οὐ πόρρω, τὸ φάναι τὰς καλὰς γυναῖκας “ἀλγηδόνας ὀφθαλμῶν.”

4. In these lines, and in15423, the reiteration of the long ω, and of the long η, is particularly to be noted.

9.προπροκυλινδόμενος: imitated by Ap. Rhod.Argon.i. 386 προπροβιαζόμενοι, and ii. 595 προπροκαταΐγδην. Cp.Odyss.xvii. 524 ἔνθεν δὴ νῦν δεῦρο τόδ’ ἵκετο πήματα πάσχων, | προπροκυλινδόμενος.

10.χρόνου μῆκος: cp. Virg.Aen.i. 272 “hic iam ter centum totos regnabitur annos,” and iii. 284 “interea magnum sol circumvolvitur annum.”

11.σώματος μέγεθος: cp. Virg.Aen.vii. 783 “ipse inter primos praestanti corpore Turnus.”—πάθους ὑπερβολήν: cp. Virg.Aen.ix. 475 “at subitus miserae calor ossa reliquit, | excussi manibus radii revolutaque pensa.”

12. A blending of (1) παρ’ οὐδὲν οὕτως ὡς, (2) παρ’ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἤ.

16. Cp. Virg.Aen.ix. 477 “evolat infelix et femineo ululatu | scissa comam muros amens atque agmina cursu | prima petit,” etc.

18. Batteux (Réflexionspp. 219-21) quotes and analyzes the well-known passage of Racine’sPhèdre(v. 6) which begins: “Un effroyable cri, sorti du fond des flots, | Des airs en ce moment a troublé le repos.” He says: “Dans le dernier morceau de Racine qui peint l’objet terrible, il n’y a pas un vers qui n’ait le caractère de la chose exprimée. Ce sont des sons aigus et perçans, des syllabes chargée de consonnes, et de consonnes épaisses:sorti du fond des flots; notre sang s’est glacé; L’onde approche, se brise; Son front large est armé. Des mots qui se heurtent:effroyable cri; cri redoutable; le crin s’est hérissé. D’autres mots larges et spacieux:Cependant, sur le dos de la plaine liquide, S’élève à gros bouillons(S’élèverejeté à l’autre vers comme celui-ci de Despréaux,S’élève un lit de plume)une montaigne humide; cornes menaçantes; écailles jaunissantes; Indomptable taureau, dragon impétueux. Des syllabes qui se renversent les unes sur le autres:Sa croupe se recourbe en replis tortueux. Ce vers, dans un poëme ancient, eût été célébré de siècle en siècle.”

XVIκαὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν δὴ κατασκευάζουσιν οἱ ποιηταὶ καὶ λογογράφοιπρὸς χρῆμα ὁρῶντες οἰκεῖα καὶ δηλωτικὰ τῶν ὑποκειμένωντὰ ὀνόματα, ὥσπερ ἔφην· πολλὰ δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶνἔμπροσθεν λαμβάνουσιν ὡς ἐκεῖνοι κατεσκεύασαν, ὅσα μιμητικὰτῶν πραγμάτων ἐστίν· ὡς ἔχει ταυτί 5ῥόχθει γὰρ μέγα κῦμα ποτὶ ξερὸν ἠπείροιο.αὐτὸς δὲ κλάγξας πέτετο πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο.αἰγιαλῷ μεγάλῳ βρέμεται, σμαραγεῖ δέ τε πόντος.σκέπτετ’ ὀιστῶν τε ῥοῖζον καὶ δοῦπον ἀκόντων.μεγάλη δὲ τούτων ἀρχὴ καὶ διδάσκαλος ἡ φύσις ἡ ποιοῦσα 10μιμητικοὺς καὶ θετικοὺς ἡμᾶς τῶν ὀνομάτων, οἷς δηλοῦται τὰπράγματα κατά τινας εὐλόγους καὶ κινητικὰς τῆς διανοίαςὁμοιότητας· ὑφ’ ἧς ἐδιδάχθημεν ταύρων τε μυκήματα λέγεινκαὶ χρεμετισμοὺς ἵππων καὶ φριμαγμοὺς τράγων πυρός τε[159]CHAPTER XVIPOETIC SKILL IN THE CHOICE AND IN THE COMBINATION OF WORDSThe poets and prose-writers themselves, then, with their eye on each object in turn, frame—as I said—words which seem made for, and are pictures of, the things they connote. But they also borrow many words from earlier writers, in the very form in which those writers fashioned them—when such words are imitative of things, as in the following instances:—For the vast sea-swell on the beach crashed down with a thunder-shock.[136]And adown the blasts of the wind he darted with one wild scream.[137]Even as when the surge of the seething sea falls dashing(On a league-long strand, with the roar of the rollers thunderous-crashing).[138]And his eyes for the hiss of the arrows, the hurtling of lances, were keen.[139]The great originator and teacher in these matters is Nature, who prompts us to imitate and to assign words by which things are pictured, in virtue of certain resemblances which are founded in reason and appeal to our intelligence. It is by her that we have been taught to speak of the bellowing of bulls, the whinnying of horses, the snorting of goats, the roar of fire, the

καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν δὴ κατασκευάζουσιν οἱ ποιηταὶ καὶ λογογράφοιπρὸς χρῆμα ὁρῶντες οἰκεῖα καὶ δηλωτικὰ τῶν ὑποκειμένωντὰ ὀνόματα, ὥσπερ ἔφην· πολλὰ δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶνἔμπροσθεν λαμβάνουσιν ὡς ἐκεῖνοι κατεσκεύασαν, ὅσα μιμητικὰτῶν πραγμάτων ἐστίν· ὡς ἔχει ταυτί 5

ῥόχθει γὰρ μέγα κῦμα ποτὶ ξερὸν ἠπείροιο.

αὐτὸς δὲ κλάγξας πέτετο πνοιῇς ἀνέμοιο.

αἰγιαλῷ μεγάλῳ βρέμεται, σμαραγεῖ δέ τε πόντος.

σκέπτετ’ ὀιστῶν τε ῥοῖζον καὶ δοῦπον ἀκόντων.

μεγάλη δὲ τούτων ἀρχὴ καὶ διδάσκαλος ἡ φύσις ἡ ποιοῦσα 10μιμητικοὺς καὶ θετικοὺς ἡμᾶς τῶν ὀνομάτων, οἷς δηλοῦται τὰπράγματα κατά τινας εὐλόγους καὶ κινητικὰς τῆς διανοίαςὁμοιότητας· ὑφ’ ἧς ἐδιδάχθημεν ταύρων τε μυκήματα λέγεινκαὶ χρεμετισμοὺς ἵππων καὶ φριμαγμοὺς τράγων πυρός τε

[159]CHAPTER XVIPOETIC SKILL IN THE CHOICE AND IN THE COMBINATION OF WORDSThe poets and prose-writers themselves, then, with their eye on each object in turn, frame—as I said—words which seem made for, and are pictures of, the things they connote. But they also borrow many words from earlier writers, in the very form in which those writers fashioned them—when such words are imitative of things, as in the following instances:—For the vast sea-swell on the beach crashed down with a thunder-shock.[136]And adown the blasts of the wind he darted with one wild scream.[137]Even as when the surge of the seething sea falls dashing(On a league-long strand, with the roar of the rollers thunderous-crashing).[138]And his eyes for the hiss of the arrows, the hurtling of lances, were keen.[139]The great originator and teacher in these matters is Nature, who prompts us to imitate and to assign words by which things are pictured, in virtue of certain resemblances which are founded in reason and appeal to our intelligence. It is by her that we have been taught to speak of the bellowing of bulls, the whinnying of horses, the snorting of goats, the roar of fire, the

[159]

The poets and prose-writers themselves, then, with their eye on each object in turn, frame—as I said—words which seem made for, and are pictures of, the things they connote. But they also borrow many words from earlier writers, in the very form in which those writers fashioned them—when such words are imitative of things, as in the following instances:—

For the vast sea-swell on the beach crashed down with a thunder-shock.[136]

And adown the blasts of the wind he darted with one wild scream.[137]

Even as when the surge of the seething sea falls dashing(On a league-long strand, with the roar of the rollers thunderous-crashing).[138]

And his eyes for the hiss of the arrows, the hurtling of lances, were keen.[139]

The great originator and teacher in these matters is Nature, who prompts us to imitate and to assign words by which things are pictured, in virtue of certain resemblances which are founded in reason and appeal to our intelligence. It is by her that we have been taught to speak of the bellowing of bulls, the whinnying of horses, the snorting of goats, the roar of fire, the

1 μὲν F: τε PMV 2 πρὸς χρῆμα PV: πρόσχημα PM 4 μιμητικὰ EF: μιμητικώτατα PMV 5 πραγμάτων] γραμμάτων PM 6 ῥόγχθει F: ῥοχθεῖ PMV 8 μεγάλωι P, EM Hom.: μεγάλα F 11 καὶ θετικοὺς ἡμᾶς EF: ἡμᾶς καὶ θετικοὺς V: καὶ θετικοὺς M: ἡμᾶς P 12 τῆς EF: om. PMV 13 ἧς P: ὧν EFMV 14 φριμαγμοὺς EF: φριγμοὺς P: φρυαγμοὺς V: φρυμαγμοὺς M || τράγων] ταύρων F2.πρὸς χρῆμα ὁρῶντες: for χρῆμα cp.1604. The writer must, in Matthew Arnold’s phrase, have his “eye on the object.” Cp. Aristot.Poet.c. xvii. δεῖ δὲ τοὺς μύθους συνιστάναι καὶ τῇ λέξει συναπεργάζεσθαι ὅτι μάλιστα πρὸ ὀμμάτων τιθέμενον· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ἐναργέστατα ὁρῶν ὥσπερ παρ’ αὐτοῖς γιγνόμενος τοῖς πραττομένοις εὑρίσκοι τὸ πρέπον καὶ ἥκιστα ἂν λανθάνοι τὰ ὑπεναντία: and Long.de Sublim.c. xv. ἆρ’ οὐκ ἂν εἴποις, ὅτι ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ γράφοντος συνεπιβαίνει τοῦ ἅρματος, καὶ συγκινδυνεύουσα τοῖς ἵπποις συνεπτέρωται; οὐ γὰρ ἄν, εἰ μὴ τοῖς οὐρανίοις ἐκείνοις ἔργοις ἰσοδρομοῦσα ἐφέρετο, τοιαῦτ’ ἄν ποτε ἐφαντάσθη.4.μιμητικά: cp. Aristot.Poet.c. iv. τό τε γὰρ μιμεῖσθαι σύμφυτον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐκ παίδων ἐστί (καὶ τούτῳ διαφέρουσι τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων ὅτι μιμητικώτατόν ἐστι καὶ τὰς μαθήσεις ποιεῖται διὰ μιμήσεως τὰς πρώτας), καὶ τὸ χαίρειν τοῖς μιμήμασι πάντας.6. For the repeatedrsound cp. the passage of theAeneid(i. 108) which begins “talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella,” and schol. onOdyss.v. 402 τῶν δὲ πεποιημένων ἡ λέξις (sc. ῥόχθει)· τραχὺ γὰρ τὸ ρ, τὸ θ, τὸ χ.8. Cp. schol. adIl.ii. 210 συμφυῶς τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ τετράχυνται τὸ ἔπος ταῖς ὀνοματοποιΐαις.—In this line F’s reading μεγάλα accords with a conjecture of Bentley’s.9. Cp. Virg.Aen.v. 437 “stat gravis Entellus nisuque immotus eodem | corpore tela modo atque oculis vigilantibus exit.”11. Not all languages, however, have the same powers in this direction: cp. Quintil. i. 5. 72 “sed minime nobis concessa est ὀνοματοποιΐα; quis enim ferat, si quid simile illis merito laudatis λίγξε βιός et σίζε ὀφθαλμός fingere audeamus? Iam nebalarequidem authinnirefortiter diceremus, nisi iudicio vetustatis niterentur” (Quintilian has just before, §§ 67 and 70, referred to Pacuvius’repandirostrumandincurvicervicum: which may be compared with Ἑρμοκαϊκόξανθος, Aristot.Poet.c. 21); and viii. 6. 31 “ὀνοματοποιΐα quidem, id est fictio nominis, Graecis inter maxima habita virtutes, nobis vix permittitur ... vix illa, quae πεποιημένα vocant, quae ex vocibus in usum receptis quocunque modo declinantur, nobis permittimus, qualia suntSullaturitetproscripturit.” Greek, English and German admit onomatopoeia more readily than Latin and French. Any undue restriction (such as that indicated by Quintilian when defining πεποιημένα) hampers the life of a language. Words should serve their apprenticeship, no doubt; but there should be no lack of probationers. We feel that the language itself is growing when Cicero uses ‘dulcescit’ of the growing and ripening grape, or when Erasmus uses the same word to indicate that England ‘grew’ upon him the more he knew it.—For the general question of the right of coining new words or reviving disused words see Demetr. pp. 255, 297, 298 (and cp. §§ 94, 220ibid.). Many of Dionysius’ remarks, here and elsewhere, seem to concern the choice or the manufacture of words rather than their arrangement; but, from the nature of the case, he clearly finds it hard to draw a strict dividing-line either in this direction or in regard to the entire λεκτικὸς τόπος as distinguished from the πραγματικὸς τόπος.13. In giving the singular, P seems clearly right here, and as clearly wrong when giving the plural in15619.

2.πρὸς χρῆμα ὁρῶντες: for χρῆμα cp.1604. The writer must, in Matthew Arnold’s phrase, have his “eye on the object.” Cp. Aristot.Poet.c. xvii. δεῖ δὲ τοὺς μύθους συνιστάναι καὶ τῇ λέξει συναπεργάζεσθαι ὅτι μάλιστα πρὸ ὀμμάτων τιθέμενον· οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ἐναργέστατα ὁρῶν ὥσπερ παρ’ αὐτοῖς γιγνόμενος τοῖς πραττομένοις εὑρίσκοι τὸ πρέπον καὶ ἥκιστα ἂν λανθάνοι τὰ ὑπεναντία: and Long.de Sublim.c. xv. ἆρ’ οὐκ ἂν εἴποις, ὅτι ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ γράφοντος συνεπιβαίνει τοῦ ἅρματος, καὶ συγκινδυνεύουσα τοῖς ἵπποις συνεπτέρωται; οὐ γὰρ ἄν, εἰ μὴ τοῖς οὐρανίοις ἐκείνοις ἔργοις ἰσοδρομοῦσα ἐφέρετο, τοιαῦτ’ ἄν ποτε ἐφαντάσθη.

4.μιμητικά: cp. Aristot.Poet.c. iv. τό τε γὰρ μιμεῖσθαι σύμφυτον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐκ παίδων ἐστί (καὶ τούτῳ διαφέρουσι τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων ὅτι μιμητικώτατόν ἐστι καὶ τὰς μαθήσεις ποιεῖται διὰ μιμήσεως τὰς πρώτας), καὶ τὸ χαίρειν τοῖς μιμήμασι πάντας.

6. For the repeatedrsound cp. the passage of theAeneid(i. 108) which begins “talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella,” and schol. onOdyss.v. 402 τῶν δὲ πεποιημένων ἡ λέξις (sc. ῥόχθει)· τραχὺ γὰρ τὸ ρ, τὸ θ, τὸ χ.

8. Cp. schol. adIl.ii. 210 συμφυῶς τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ τετράχυνται τὸ ἔπος ταῖς ὀνοματοποιΐαις.—In this line F’s reading μεγάλα accords with a conjecture of Bentley’s.

9. Cp. Virg.Aen.v. 437 “stat gravis Entellus nisuque immotus eodem | corpore tela modo atque oculis vigilantibus exit.”

11. Not all languages, however, have the same powers in this direction: cp. Quintil. i. 5. 72 “sed minime nobis concessa est ὀνοματοποιΐα; quis enim ferat, si quid simile illis merito laudatis λίγξε βιός et σίζε ὀφθαλμός fingere audeamus? Iam nebalarequidem authinnirefortiter diceremus, nisi iudicio vetustatis niterentur” (Quintilian has just before, §§ 67 and 70, referred to Pacuvius’repandirostrumandincurvicervicum: which may be compared with Ἑρμοκαϊκόξανθος, Aristot.Poet.c. 21); and viii. 6. 31 “ὀνοματοποιΐα quidem, id est fictio nominis, Graecis inter maxima habita virtutes, nobis vix permittitur ... vix illa, quae πεποιημένα vocant, quae ex vocibus in usum receptis quocunque modo declinantur, nobis permittimus, qualia suntSullaturitetproscripturit.” Greek, English and German admit onomatopoeia more readily than Latin and French. Any undue restriction (such as that indicated by Quintilian when defining πεποιημένα) hampers the life of a language. Words should serve their apprenticeship, no doubt; but there should be no lack of probationers. We feel that the language itself is growing when Cicero uses ‘dulcescit’ of the growing and ripening grape, or when Erasmus uses the same word to indicate that England ‘grew’ upon him the more he knew it.—For the general question of the right of coining new words or reviving disused words see Demetr. pp. 255, 297, 298 (and cp. §§ 94, 220ibid.). Many of Dionysius’ remarks, here and elsewhere, seem to concern the choice or the manufacture of words rather than their arrangement; but, from the nature of the case, he clearly finds it hard to draw a strict dividing-line either in this direction or in regard to the entire λεκτικὸς τόπος as distinguished from the πραγματικὸς τόπος.

13. In giving the singular, P seems clearly right here, and as clearly wrong when giving the plural in15619.

βρόμον καὶ πάταγον ἀνέμων καὶ συριγμὸν κάλων καὶ ἄλλατούτοις ὅμοια παμπληθῆ τὰ μὲν φωνῆς μιμήματα, τὰ δὲμορφῆς, τὰ δὲ ἔργου, τὰ δὲ πάθους, τὰ δὲ κινήσεως, τὰ δ’ἠρεμίας, τὰ δ’ ἄλλου χρήματος ὅτου δήποτε· περὶ ὧν εἴρηταιπολλὰ τοῖς πρὸ ἡμῶν, τὰ κράτιστα δ’ ὡς πρώτῳ τὸν ὑπὲρ 5ἐτυμολογίας εἰσαγαγόντι λόγον, Πλάτωνι τῷ Σωκρατικῷ, πολλαχῇμὲν καὶ ἄλλῃ μάλιστα δ’ ἐν τῷ Κρατύλῳ.τί δὴ τὸ κεφάλαιόν ἐστί μοι τούτου τοῦ λόγου; ὅτιπαρὰ μὲν τὰς τῶν γραμμάτων συμπλοκὰς ἡ τῶν συλλαβῶνγίνεται δύναμις ποικίλη, παρὰ δὲ τὴν τῶν συλλαβῶν σύνθεσιν 10ἡ τῶν ὀνομάτων φύσις παντοδαπή, παρὰ δὲ τὰς τῶν ὀνομάτωνἁρμονίας πολύμορφος ὁ λόγος· ὥστε πολλὴ ἀνάγκη καλὴνμὲν εἶναι λέξιν ἐν ᾗ καλά ἐστιν ὀνόματα, κάλλους δὲ ὀνομάτωνσυλλαβάς τε καὶ γράμματα καλὰ αἴτια εἶναι, ἡδεῖαν δὲ διάλεκτονἐκ τῶν ἡδυνόντων τὴν ἀκοὴν γίνεσθαι κατὰ τὸ παραπλήσιον 15ὀνομάτων τε καὶ συλλαβῶν καὶ γραμμάτων, τάς τεκατὰ μέρος ἐν τούτοις διαφοράς, καθ’ ἃς δηλοῦται τά τε ἤθηκαὶ τὰ πάθη καὶ αἱ διαθέσεις καὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν προσώπωνκαὶ τὰ συνεδρεύοντα τούτοις, ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης κατασκευῆς τῶνγραμμάτων γίνεσθαι τοιαύτας. 20χρήσομαι δ’ ὀλίγοις παραδείγμασι τοῦ λόγου τοῦδε τῆςσαφηνείας ἕνεκα· τὰ γὰρ ἄλλα πολλὰ ὄντα ἐπὶ σαυτοῦ συμβαλλόμενοςεὑρήσεις. ὁ δὴ πολυφωνότατος ἁπάντων τῶν[161]rushing of winds, the creaking of hawsers, and numerous other similar imitations of sound, form, action, emotion, movement, stillness, and anything else whatsoever. On these points much has been said by our predecessors, the most important contributions being by the first of them to introduce the subject of etymology, Plato the disciple of Socrates, in hisCratylusespecially, but in many other places as well.What is the sum and substance of my argument? It is that it is due to the interweaving of letters that the quality of syllables is so multifarious; to the combination of syllables that the nature of words has such wide diversity; to the arrangement of words that discourse takes on so many forms. The conclusion is inevitable—that style is beautiful when it contains beautiful words,—that beauty of words is due to beautiful syllables and letters,—that language is rendered charming by the things that charm the ear in virtue of affinities in words, syllables, and letters; and that the differences in detail between these, through which are indicated the characters, emotions, dispositions, actions and so forth of the persons described, are made what they are through the original grouping of the letters.To set the matter in a clearer light, I will illustrate my argument by a few examples. Other instances—and there are plenty of them—you will find for yourself in the course of your own investigations. When Homer, the poet above all others

[161]rushing of winds, the creaking of hawsers, and numerous other similar imitations of sound, form, action, emotion, movement, stillness, and anything else whatsoever. On these points much has been said by our predecessors, the most important contributions being by the first of them to introduce the subject of etymology, Plato the disciple of Socrates, in hisCratylusespecially, but in many other places as well.What is the sum and substance of my argument? It is that it is due to the interweaving of letters that the quality of syllables is so multifarious; to the combination of syllables that the nature of words has such wide diversity; to the arrangement of words that discourse takes on so many forms. The conclusion is inevitable—that style is beautiful when it contains beautiful words,—that beauty of words is due to beautiful syllables and letters,—that language is rendered charming by the things that charm the ear in virtue of affinities in words, syllables, and letters; and that the differences in detail between these, through which are indicated the characters, emotions, dispositions, actions and so forth of the persons described, are made what they are through the original grouping of the letters.To set the matter in a clearer light, I will illustrate my argument by a few examples. Other instances—and there are plenty of them—you will find for yourself in the course of your own investigations. When Homer, the poet above all others

[161]

rushing of winds, the creaking of hawsers, and numerous other similar imitations of sound, form, action, emotion, movement, stillness, and anything else whatsoever. On these points much has been said by our predecessors, the most important contributions being by the first of them to introduce the subject of etymology, Plato the disciple of Socrates, in hisCratylusespecially, but in many other places as well.

What is the sum and substance of my argument? It is that it is due to the interweaving of letters that the quality of syllables is so multifarious; to the combination of syllables that the nature of words has such wide diversity; to the arrangement of words that discourse takes on so many forms. The conclusion is inevitable—that style is beautiful when it contains beautiful words,—that beauty of words is due to beautiful syllables and letters,—that language is rendered charming by the things that charm the ear in virtue of affinities in words, syllables, and letters; and that the differences in detail between these, through which are indicated the characters, emotions, dispositions, actions and so forth of the persons described, are made what they are through the original grouping of the letters.

To set the matter in a clearer light, I will illustrate my argument by a few examples. Other instances—and there are plenty of them—you will find for yourself in the course of your own investigations. When Homer, the poet above all others

2 μιμήματα EPM: μιμητικὰ V: μηνύματα F 3 ἔργων E: ἔργα M 4 ἐρημίας F || δήποτε FMV: δὴ P 5 δ’ ὡς F: δε νέμω (νέμων M) ὡς PMV 9, 10, 11 παρὰ] περὶ R || γραμμάτων] πραγμάτων F: cf.1585 10 δύναμις RF: σύνθεσις EPV || σύνθεσιν EF: συνθέσεις PMV: θέσεις R 12 λόγος REF: λόγος [γ]ίνεται cum litura P, MV 13 κάλλους REF: καλῶν PV 14 αἴτια RMV: αἰτίαν F: αἴτιον EP 15 κατὰ F: καὶ PMV 20 τοιαύτας Us.: τοιαύτα F, PMV 21 παραδείγμασι F: δείγμασιν P, MV 23 ἁπάντων τῶν MV: ἁπάντων FP1. Cp. Virg.Aen.i. 87 “insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum”; Ap. Rhod.Argon.i. 725 ὑπὸ πνοιῇ δὲ κάλωες | ὅπλα τε νήια πάντα τινάσσετο νισσομένοισιν.5. So Diog. Laert. (auctore Favorino in octavo libro Omnigenae historiae): καὶ πρῶτος ἐθεώρησε τῆς γραμματικῆς τὴν δύναμιν (Vit. Plat.25).8. The following passage (fromὅτιtoκαλὰ αἴτια) is quoted in schol. anon. in Hermog. (WalzRhett. Gr.vii. 1049), with the prefatory words ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ περὶ συνθέσεως ὀνομάτων περὶ λέξεως διαλαμβάνων λέγει ὅτι κτλ.10. The endless possibilities of these syllabic, verbal, and other permutations had evidently impressed the imagination of Dionysius: together with their climax in literature itself, and in all the great types of literature.12. “This sentence (ὥστε πολλὴ ἀνάγκη ... γράμματα καλὰ αἴτια εἶναι) puts boldly the truth which Aristotle had evaded or pooh-poohed in his excessive devotion to the philosophy of literature rather than to literature itself” (SaintsburyHistory of Criticismi. 130).21.παραδείγμασιis perhaps to be preferred to δείγμασι here: cp.16416.22.ἐπὶ σαυτοῦ=per te ipsum,tuopte Marte: cp.9621 ἐσκόπουν δ’ αὐτὸς ἐπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ γενόμενος.23.πολυφωνότατοςIn this respect Homer’s great compeer is Shakespeare, in whose dramas “few things are more remarkable than the infinite range of style, speech, dialect they unfold before us” (VaughanTypes of Tragic Dramap. 165).—The passage of Dionysius which follows might be endlessly illustrated from Shakespeare; e.g. from Sonnet civ.,Romeo and Julietii. 2 and v. 3,Antony and Cleopatraii. 2 (speeches of Enobarbus),Tempestiii. 1. In the scene of theTempest, correspondence and variety are alike conspicuous. Ferdinand’s address (beginning “Admired Miranda!”) tallies—to the line and even to the half-line—with Miranda’s reply, and the concluding lines are, in the one case,But you, O you,Soperfect and sopeerless, are createdOf every creature’s best;and, in the other,But IprattleSomething too wildly, and my father’spreceptsI therein do forget.In the same scene the lines—O, she isTen times more gentle than her father’s crabbed,And he’s composed of harshness,would have a very different effect (cp. quotation from Aristotle’sPoeticson789supra) if written as follows:—O, she isTen times moregraciousthan hersireisstern,And he ismerely cruel(‘merely’ being understood, of course, in the Shakespearian sense of ‘absolutely’).

1. Cp. Virg.Aen.i. 87 “insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum”; Ap. Rhod.Argon.i. 725 ὑπὸ πνοιῇ δὲ κάλωες | ὅπλα τε νήια πάντα τινάσσετο νισσομένοισιν.

5. So Diog. Laert. (auctore Favorino in octavo libro Omnigenae historiae): καὶ πρῶτος ἐθεώρησε τῆς γραμματικῆς τὴν δύναμιν (Vit. Plat.25).

8. The following passage (fromὅτιtoκαλὰ αἴτια) is quoted in schol. anon. in Hermog. (WalzRhett. Gr.vii. 1049), with the prefatory words ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ περὶ συνθέσεως ὀνομάτων περὶ λέξεως διαλαμβάνων λέγει ὅτι κτλ.

10. The endless possibilities of these syllabic, verbal, and other permutations had evidently impressed the imagination of Dionysius: together with their climax in literature itself, and in all the great types of literature.

12. “This sentence (ὥστε πολλὴ ἀνάγκη ... γράμματα καλὰ αἴτια εἶναι) puts boldly the truth which Aristotle had evaded or pooh-poohed in his excessive devotion to the philosophy of literature rather than to literature itself” (SaintsburyHistory of Criticismi. 130).

21.παραδείγμασιis perhaps to be preferred to δείγμασι here: cp.16416.

22.ἐπὶ σαυτοῦ=per te ipsum,tuopte Marte: cp.9621 ἐσκόπουν δ’ αὐτὸς ἐπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ γενόμενος.

23.πολυφωνότατοςIn this respect Homer’s great compeer is Shakespeare, in whose dramas “few things are more remarkable than the infinite range of style, speech, dialect they unfold before us” (VaughanTypes of Tragic Dramap. 165).—The passage of Dionysius which follows might be endlessly illustrated from Shakespeare; e.g. from Sonnet civ.,Romeo and Julietii. 2 and v. 3,Antony and Cleopatraii. 2 (speeches of Enobarbus),Tempestiii. 1. In the scene of theTempest, correspondence and variety are alike conspicuous. Ferdinand’s address (beginning “Admired Miranda!”) tallies—to the line and even to the half-line—with Miranda’s reply, and the concluding lines are, in the one case,

But you, O you,Soperfect and sopeerless, are createdOf every creature’s best;

and, in the other,

But IprattleSomething too wildly, and my father’spreceptsI therein do forget.

In the same scene the lines—

O, she isTen times more gentle than her father’s crabbed,And he’s composed of harshness,

would have a very different effect (cp. quotation from Aristotle’sPoeticson789supra) if written as follows:—

O, she isTen times moregraciousthan hersireisstern,And he ismerely cruel

(‘merely’ being understood, of course, in the Shakespearian sense of ‘absolutely’).

ποιητῶν Ὅμηρος, ὅταν μὲν ὥραν ὄψεως εὐμόρφου καὶ κάλλοςἡδονῆς ἐπαγωγὸν ἐπιδείξασθαι βούληται, τῶν τε φωνηέντωντοῖς κρατίστοις χρήσεται καὶ τῶν ἡμιφώνων τοῖς μαλακωτάτοις,καὶ οὐ καταπυκνώσει τοῖς ἀφώνοις τὰς συλλαβὰς οὐδὲ συγκόψειτοὺς ἤχους παρατιθεὶς ἀλλήλοις τὰ δυσέκφορα, πραεῖαν δέ 5τινα ποιήσει τὴν ἁρμονίαν τῶν γραμμάτων καὶ ῥέουσαν ἀλύπωςδιὰ τῆς ἀκοῆς, ὡς ἔχει ταυτίἡ δ’ ἴεν ἐκ θαλάμοιο περίφρων ΠηνελόπειαἈρτέμιδι ἰκέλη ἠὲ χρυσῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ.Δήλῳ δήποτε τοῖον Ἀπόλλωνος παρὰ βωμῷ 10φοίνικος νέον ἔρνος ἀνερχόμενον ἐνόησα.καὶ Χλῶριν εἶδον περικαλλέα, τήν ποτε Νηλεὺςγῆμεν ἑὸν μετὰ κάλλος, ἐπεὶ πόρε μυρία ἕδνα.ὅταν δ’ οἰκτρὰν ἢ φοβερὰν ἢ ἀγέρωχον ὄψιν εἰσάγῃ, τῶν τεφωνηέντων οὐ τὰ κράτιστα θήσει ἀλλὰ τῶν ψοφοειδῶν ἢ 15ἀφώνων τὰ δυσεκφορώτατα λήψεται καὶ καταπυκνώσει τούτοιςτὰς συλλαβάς, οἷά ἐστι ταυτίσμερδαλέος δ’ αὐτῇσι φάνη κεκακωμένος ἅλμῃ.τῇ δ’ ἐπὶ μὲν Γοργὼ βλοσυρῶπις ἐστεφάνωτοδεινὸν δερκομένη, περὶ δὲ Δεῖμός τε Φόβος τε. 20ποταμῶν δέ γε σύρρυσιν εἰς χωρίον ἓν καὶ πάταγον ὑδάτωνἀναμισγομένων ἐκμιμήσασθαι τῇ λέξει βουλόμενος οὐκ ἐργάσεταιλείας συλλαβὰς ἀλλ’ ἰσχυρὰς καὶ ἀντιτύπους[163]many-voiced, wishes to depict the young bloom of a lovely countenance and a beauty that brings delight, he will use the finest of the vowels and the softest of the semi-vowels; he will not pack his syllables with mute letters, nor impede the utterance by putting next to one another words hard to pronounce. He will make the harmony of the letters strike softly and pleasingly upon the ear, as in the following lines:—Now forth of her bower hath gone Penelope passing-wiseLovely as Artemis, or as Aphrodite the Golden.[140]Only once by the Sun-god’s altar in Delos I chanced to espySo stately a shaft of a palm that gracefully grew thereby.[141]Rose Chloris, fair beyond word, whom Nereus wedded of old,For her beauty his heart had stirred, and he wooed her with gifts untold.[142]But when he introduces a sight that is pitiable, or terrifying, or august, he will not employ the finest of the vowels. He will take the hardest to utter of the fricatives or of the mutes, and will pack his syllables with these. For instance:—But dreadful he burst on their sight, with the sea-scum all fouled o’er.[143]And thereon was embossed the Gorgon-demon, with stony gazeGrim-glaring, and Terror and Panic encompassed the Fearful Face.[144]When he wishes to reproduce in his language the rush of meeting torrents and the roar of confluent waters, he will not employ smooth syllables, but strong and resounding ones:—

ἡ δ’ ἴεν ἐκ θαλάμοιο περίφρων ΠηνελόπειαἈρτέμιδι ἰκέλη ἠὲ χρυσῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ.

Δήλῳ δήποτε τοῖον Ἀπόλλωνος παρὰ βωμῷ 10φοίνικος νέον ἔρνος ἀνερχόμενον ἐνόησα.

καὶ Χλῶριν εἶδον περικαλλέα, τήν ποτε Νηλεὺςγῆμεν ἑὸν μετὰ κάλλος, ἐπεὶ πόρε μυρία ἕδνα.

ὅταν δ’ οἰκτρὰν ἢ φοβερὰν ἢ ἀγέρωχον ὄψιν εἰσάγῃ, τῶν τεφωνηέντων οὐ τὰ κράτιστα θήσει ἀλλὰ τῶν ψοφοειδῶν ἢ 15ἀφώνων τὰ δυσεκφορώτατα λήψεται καὶ καταπυκνώσει τούτοιςτὰς συλλαβάς, οἷά ἐστι ταυτί

σμερδαλέος δ’ αὐτῇσι φάνη κεκακωμένος ἅλμῃ.

τῇ δ’ ἐπὶ μὲν Γοργὼ βλοσυρῶπις ἐστεφάνωτοδεινὸν δερκομένη, περὶ δὲ Δεῖμός τε Φόβος τε. 20

ποταμῶν δέ γε σύρρυσιν εἰς χωρίον ἓν καὶ πάταγον ὑδάτωνἀναμισγομένων ἐκμιμήσασθαι τῇ λέξει βουλόμενος οὐκ ἐργάσεταιλείας συλλαβὰς ἀλλ’ ἰσχυρὰς καὶ ἀντιτύπους

[163]many-voiced, wishes to depict the young bloom of a lovely countenance and a beauty that brings delight, he will use the finest of the vowels and the softest of the semi-vowels; he will not pack his syllables with mute letters, nor impede the utterance by putting next to one another words hard to pronounce. He will make the harmony of the letters strike softly and pleasingly upon the ear, as in the following lines:—Now forth of her bower hath gone Penelope passing-wiseLovely as Artemis, or as Aphrodite the Golden.[140]Only once by the Sun-god’s altar in Delos I chanced to espySo stately a shaft of a palm that gracefully grew thereby.[141]Rose Chloris, fair beyond word, whom Nereus wedded of old,For her beauty his heart had stirred, and he wooed her with gifts untold.[142]But when he introduces a sight that is pitiable, or terrifying, or august, he will not employ the finest of the vowels. He will take the hardest to utter of the fricatives or of the mutes, and will pack his syllables with these. For instance:—But dreadful he burst on their sight, with the sea-scum all fouled o’er.[143]And thereon was embossed the Gorgon-demon, with stony gazeGrim-glaring, and Terror and Panic encompassed the Fearful Face.[144]When he wishes to reproduce in his language the rush of meeting torrents and the roar of confluent waters, he will not employ smooth syllables, but strong and resounding ones:—

[163]

many-voiced, wishes to depict the young bloom of a lovely countenance and a beauty that brings delight, he will use the finest of the vowels and the softest of the semi-vowels; he will not pack his syllables with mute letters, nor impede the utterance by putting next to one another words hard to pronounce. He will make the harmony of the letters strike softly and pleasingly upon the ear, as in the following lines:—

Now forth of her bower hath gone Penelope passing-wiseLovely as Artemis, or as Aphrodite the Golden.[140]

Only once by the Sun-god’s altar in Delos I chanced to espySo stately a shaft of a palm that gracefully grew thereby.[141]

Rose Chloris, fair beyond word, whom Nereus wedded of old,For her beauty his heart had stirred, and he wooed her with gifts untold.[142]

But when he introduces a sight that is pitiable, or terrifying, or august, he will not employ the finest of the vowels. He will take the hardest to utter of the fricatives or of the mutes, and will pack his syllables with these. For instance:—

But dreadful he burst on their sight, with the sea-scum all fouled o’er.[143]

And thereon was embossed the Gorgon-demon, with stony gazeGrim-glaring, and Terror and Panic encompassed the Fearful Face.[144]

When he wishes to reproduce in his language the rush of meeting torrents and the roar of confluent waters, he will not employ smooth syllables, but strong and resounding ones:—

2 ἐπαγαγὼν F 3 χρήσεται ... μαλακωτάτοις om. F 4 συγκόπτει P 6 ποιεῖ P 12 χλωρὴν F || ἴδον PMV || ἥν F 13 γῆμεν ἑὸν] τημέναιον F || μετα P, M: κατα F: διὰ EV 19 γοργῶι sic F: γοργὼ ceteri || βλοσυρώπις F (metri, ut videtur, gratia) 22 ἐργάσεται Us.: ἐργάζεται F: ἔτι EPMV 23 ἀντιτύπους F: ἀντιτύπους θήσει EPMV1.κάλλος: cp. scholium in P, ση(μείωσαι) πῶς κάλλος ἡδο(νῆς) ἐπαγωγὸν δείκνυ(σιν) Ὅμ(η)ρ(ος).3.χρήσεται ... καταπυκνώσει ... συγκόψει ... ποιήσει: general truths expressed by means of the future tense.8. Cp. Virg.Aen.i. 496 “regina ad templum, forma pulcherrima Dido, | incessit magna iuvenum stipante caterva. | qualis in Eurotae ripis aut per iuga Cynthi | exercet Diana choros,” etc.; andAen.xii. 67 “Indum sanguineo veluti violaverit ostro | si quis ebur, aut mixta rubent ubi lilia multa | alba rosa: tales virgo dabat ore colores.”13. InOdyss.xi. 282 the textual evidence is reported as follows: “διὰ FHJK, ss. XTU2, Dion. Hal. comp. verb. 16; δια P; μετὰ XDSTUW, An. Ox. iv. 310. 5, Bekker An. 1158, Eust.; μετα G” (Ludwichad loc.).—In the present passage of Dionysius the reading μετά gives an additionalμin the line: γῆμεν ἑὸνμετὰ κάλλος, ἐπεὶ πόρεμυρία ἕδνα. For some instances in which the authorities vary between μετά and κατά see Ebeling’sLexicon Homericum, s.v. μετά.14. In his selection of tragic qualities Dionysius seems perhaps to have in view, once more, the Aristotelian doctrine of two extremes and a mean.—As the epithetἀγέρωχοςso closely follows the quotations from Homer, it is natural to suppose that Dionysius uses the word in the Homeric sense oflordly, august, rather than in the later (bad) sense ofhaughty, insolent.15. Sauppe would insert τὰ δυσηχέστατα καὶ between ἀλλὰ and τῶν ψοφοειδῶν.

1.κάλλος: cp. scholium in P, ση(μείωσαι) πῶς κάλλος ἡδο(νῆς) ἐπαγωγὸν δείκνυ(σιν) Ὅμ(η)ρ(ος).

3.χρήσεται ... καταπυκνώσει ... συγκόψει ... ποιήσει: general truths expressed by means of the future tense.

8. Cp. Virg.Aen.i. 496 “regina ad templum, forma pulcherrima Dido, | incessit magna iuvenum stipante caterva. | qualis in Eurotae ripis aut per iuga Cynthi | exercet Diana choros,” etc.; andAen.xii. 67 “Indum sanguineo veluti violaverit ostro | si quis ebur, aut mixta rubent ubi lilia multa | alba rosa: tales virgo dabat ore colores.”

13. InOdyss.xi. 282 the textual evidence is reported as follows: “διὰ FHJK, ss. XTU2, Dion. Hal. comp. verb. 16; δια P; μετὰ XDSTUW, An. Ox. iv. 310. 5, Bekker An. 1158, Eust.; μετα G” (Ludwichad loc.).—In the present passage of Dionysius the reading μετά gives an additionalμin the line: γῆμεν ἑὸνμετὰ κάλλος, ἐπεὶ πόρεμυρία ἕδνα. For some instances in which the authorities vary between μετά and κατά see Ebeling’sLexicon Homericum, s.v. μετά.

14. In his selection of tragic qualities Dionysius seems perhaps to have in view, once more, the Aristotelian doctrine of two extremes and a mean.—As the epithetἀγέρωχοςso closely follows the quotations from Homer, it is natural to suppose that Dionysius uses the word in the Homeric sense oflordly, august, rather than in the later (bad) sense ofhaughty, insolent.

15. Sauppe would insert τὰ δυσηχέστατα καὶ between ἀλλὰ and τῶν ψοφοειδῶν.

ὡς δ’ ὅτε χείμαρροι ποταμοὶ κατ’ ὄρεσφι ῥέοντεςἐς μισγάγκειαν συμβάλλετον ὄβριμον ὕδωρ.βιαζόμενον δέ τινα πρὸς ἐναντίον ῥεῦμα ποταμοῦ μετὰ τῶνὅπλων καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀντέχοντα, τὰ δ’ ὑποφερόμενον εἰσάγωνἀνακοπάς τε ποιήσει συλλαβῶν καὶ ἀναβολὰς χρόνων καὶ 5ἀντιστηριγμοὺς γραμμάτωνδεινὸν δ’ ἀμφ’ Ἀχιλῆα κυκώμενον ἵστατο κῦμα,ὤθει δ’ ἐν σάκεϊ πίπτων ῥόος, οὐδὲ πόδεσσινεἶχε στηρίξασθαι.ἀραττομένων δὲ περὶ πέτρας ἀνθρώπων ψόφον τε καὶ μόρον 10οἰκτρὸν ἐπιδεικνύμενος, ἐπὶ τῶν ἀηδεστάτων τε καὶ κακοφωνοτάτωνχρονιεῖ γραμμάτων, οὐδαμῇ λεαίνων τὴν κατασκευὴνοὐδὲ ἡδύνων·σύν τε δύω μάρψας ὥστε σκύλακας ποτὶ γαίῃκόπτ’· ἐκ δ’ ἐγκέφαλος χαμάδις ῥέε, δεῦε δὲ γαῖαν. 15πολὺ ἂν ἔργον εἴη λέγειν, εἰ πάντων παραδείγματα βουλοίμηνφέρειν ὧν ἄν τις ἀπαιτήσειε κατὰ τὸν τόπον τόνδε· ὥστε ἀρκεσθεὶςτοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπὶ τὰ ἑξῆς μεταβήσομαι. φημὶ δὴ τὸνβουλόμενον ἐργάσασθαι λέξιν καλὴν ἐν τῷ συντιθέναι τὰςφωνάς, ὅσα καλλιλογίαν ἢ μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἢ σεμνότητα περιείληφεν 20ὀνόματα, εἰς ταὐτὸ συνάγειν. εἴρηται δέ τινα περὶτούτων καὶ Θεοφράστῳ τῷ φιλοσόφῳ κοινότερον ἐν τοῖς περὶ[165]And even as Wintertide torrents down-rushing from steep hill-sidesHurl their wild waters in one where a cleft of the mountain divides.[145]When he depicts a hero, though heavy with his harness, putting forth all his energies against an opposing stream, and now holding his own, now being carried off his feet, he will contrive counter-buffetings of syllables, arresting pauses, and letters that block the way:—Round Achilles the terrible surge towered seething on every side,And a cataract dashed and crashed on his shield: all vainly he soughtFirm ground for his feet.[146]When men are being dashed against rocks, and he is portraying the noise and their pitiable fate, he will linger on the harshest and most ill-sounding letters, altogether avoiding smoothness or prettiness in the structure:—And together laid hold on twain, and dashed them against the groundLike whelps: down gushed the brain, and bespattered the rock-floor round.[147]It would be a long task to attempt to adduce specimens of all the artistic touches of which examples might be demanded in this one field. So, contenting myself with what has been said, I will pass to the next point.I hold that those who wish to fashion a style which is beautiful in the collocation of sounds must combine in it words which all carry the impression of elegance, grandeur, or dignity. Something has been said about these matters, in a general way, by the philosopher Theophrastus in his work onStyle, where he

ὡς δ’ ὅτε χείμαρροι ποταμοὶ κατ’ ὄρεσφι ῥέοντεςἐς μισγάγκειαν συμβάλλετον ὄβριμον ὕδωρ.

βιαζόμενον δέ τινα πρὸς ἐναντίον ῥεῦμα ποταμοῦ μετὰ τῶνὅπλων καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀντέχοντα, τὰ δ’ ὑποφερόμενον εἰσάγωνἀνακοπάς τε ποιήσει συλλαβῶν καὶ ἀναβολὰς χρόνων καὶ 5ἀντιστηριγμοὺς γραμμάτων

δεινὸν δ’ ἀμφ’ Ἀχιλῆα κυκώμενον ἵστατο κῦμα,ὤθει δ’ ἐν σάκεϊ πίπτων ῥόος, οὐδὲ πόδεσσινεἶχε στηρίξασθαι.

ἀραττομένων δὲ περὶ πέτρας ἀνθρώπων ψόφον τε καὶ μόρον 10οἰκτρὸν ἐπιδεικνύμενος, ἐπὶ τῶν ἀηδεστάτων τε καὶ κακοφωνοτάτωνχρονιεῖ γραμμάτων, οὐδαμῇ λεαίνων τὴν κατασκευὴνοὐδὲ ἡδύνων·

σύν τε δύω μάρψας ὥστε σκύλακας ποτὶ γαίῃκόπτ’· ἐκ δ’ ἐγκέφαλος χαμάδις ῥέε, δεῦε δὲ γαῖαν. 15

πολὺ ἂν ἔργον εἴη λέγειν, εἰ πάντων παραδείγματα βουλοίμηνφέρειν ὧν ἄν τις ἀπαιτήσειε κατὰ τὸν τόπον τόνδε· ὥστε ἀρκεσθεὶςτοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπὶ τὰ ἑξῆς μεταβήσομαι. φημὶ δὴ τὸνβουλόμενον ἐργάσασθαι λέξιν καλὴν ἐν τῷ συντιθέναι τὰςφωνάς, ὅσα καλλιλογίαν ἢ μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἢ σεμνότητα περιείληφεν 20ὀνόματα, εἰς ταὐτὸ συνάγειν. εἴρηται δέ τινα περὶτούτων καὶ Θεοφράστῳ τῷ φιλοσόφῳ κοινότερον ἐν τοῖς περὶ

[165]And even as Wintertide torrents down-rushing from steep hill-sidesHurl their wild waters in one where a cleft of the mountain divides.[145]When he depicts a hero, though heavy with his harness, putting forth all his energies against an opposing stream, and now holding his own, now being carried off his feet, he will contrive counter-buffetings of syllables, arresting pauses, and letters that block the way:—Round Achilles the terrible surge towered seething on every side,And a cataract dashed and crashed on his shield: all vainly he soughtFirm ground for his feet.[146]When men are being dashed against rocks, and he is portraying the noise and their pitiable fate, he will linger on the harshest and most ill-sounding letters, altogether avoiding smoothness or prettiness in the structure:—And together laid hold on twain, and dashed them against the groundLike whelps: down gushed the brain, and bespattered the rock-floor round.[147]It would be a long task to attempt to adduce specimens of all the artistic touches of which examples might be demanded in this one field. So, contenting myself with what has been said, I will pass to the next point.I hold that those who wish to fashion a style which is beautiful in the collocation of sounds must combine in it words which all carry the impression of elegance, grandeur, or dignity. Something has been said about these matters, in a general way, by the philosopher Theophrastus in his work onStyle, where he

[165]

And even as Wintertide torrents down-rushing from steep hill-sidesHurl their wild waters in one where a cleft of the mountain divides.[145]

When he depicts a hero, though heavy with his harness, putting forth all his energies against an opposing stream, and now holding his own, now being carried off his feet, he will contrive counter-buffetings of syllables, arresting pauses, and letters that block the way:—

Round Achilles the terrible surge towered seething on every side,And a cataract dashed and crashed on his shield: all vainly he soughtFirm ground for his feet.[146]

When men are being dashed against rocks, and he is portraying the noise and their pitiable fate, he will linger on the harshest and most ill-sounding letters, altogether avoiding smoothness or prettiness in the structure:—

And together laid hold on twain, and dashed them against the groundLike whelps: down gushed the brain, and bespattered the rock-floor round.[147]

It would be a long task to attempt to adduce specimens of all the artistic touches of which examples might be demanded in this one field. So, contenting myself with what has been said, I will pass to the next point.

I hold that those who wish to fashion a style which is beautiful in the collocation of sounds must combine in it words which all carry the impression of elegance, grandeur, or dignity. Something has been said about these matters, in a general way, by the philosopher Theophrastus in his work onStyle, where he

2 ὄβριμον FP: ὄμβριμον EM2V 9 στηρίξασθαι F Hom.: στηρίζεσθαι PMV 10 δραττομένων F || περι F, V: παρα P, M 11 ἐπιδεικνύμενος F: ἐνδεικνύμενος PMV 14 ποτι F, MV: προτὶ P: cf.2026 infra. 17 κατὰ τὸν τόπον τόνδε ὧν ἄν τις ἀπαιτήσειε (hoc verborum ordine) PV || κατὰ F: καὶ κατὰ PV 20 καλλιλογίαν ἢ F: καλλιλογίαν καὶ PMV 21 τὸ αὐτὸ F: τοῦτο PMV1. Cp. Virg.Aen.ii. 496 “non sic, aggeribus ruptis cum spumeus amnis | exiit oppositasque evicit gurgite moles, | fertur in arva furens cumulo camposque per omnes | cum stabulis armenta trahit.”7. Cp. Virg.Aen.x. 305 “solvitur (sc. puppis Tarchontis) atque viros mediis exponit in undis, | fragmina remorum quos et fluitantia transtra | impediunt retrahitque pedes simul unda relabens.”14. Cp. Virg.Aen.v. 478, “durosque reducta | libravit dextra media inter cornua caestus | arduus, effractoque illisit in ossa cerebro.”—Demetr. (de Eloc.§ 219), in quoting this passage of Homer, couples with itIl.xxiii. 116 πολλὰ δ’ ἄναντα κάταντα πάραντά τε δόχμιά τ’ ἦλθον (Virgil’s “quadripedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum,”Aen.viii. 596).—Another good Virgilian instance of adaptation of sound to sense isGeorg.iv. 174 “illi inter sese magna vi bracchia tollunt | in numerum, versantque tenaci forcipe ferrum.”18.φημίseems (cp. the legal use ofaio) to approximate to the sense of κελεύω (as in Pind.Nem.iii. 28, Soph.Aj.1108). Either so, or (as Upton suggested) we may insert δεῖν, or the sense may simply be, “I say that the man who aims ...doescombine, etc. (i.e. when he knows his own business).”19. For the constructionλέξιν καλὴν ἐν τῷ συντιθέναι τὰς φωνάςcp.Fragm.of Duris of Samos, Ἔφορος δὲ καὶ Θεόπομπος τῶν γενομένων πλεῖστον ἀπελείφθησαν, οὔτε γὰρ μιμήσεως μετέλαβον οὐδεμίας οὔτεἡδονῆς ἐν τῷ φράσαι, αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ γράφειν μόνον ἐπεμελήθησαν.20. Here, again, the Aristotelian ‘mean’ may possibly be intended.22.Theophrastus: for other references to Theophrastus in theScripta Rhetoricaof Dionysius seede Lysiacc. 6, 14;de Isocr.c. 3;de Din.c. 2;de Demosth.c. 3. The passage of Theophrastus which Dionysius has in mind here is no doubt that mentioned by Demetr.de Eloc.§ 173 ποιεῖ δὲ εὔχαριν τὴν ἑρμηνείαν καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα καλὰ ὀνόματα. ὡρίσατο δ’ αὐτὰ Θεόφραστος οὕτως· κάλλος ὀνόματός ἐστι τὸ πρὸς τὴν ἀκοὴν ἢ πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν ἡδύ, ἢ τὸ τῇ διανοίᾳ ἔντιμον.

1. Cp. Virg.Aen.ii. 496 “non sic, aggeribus ruptis cum spumeus amnis | exiit oppositasque evicit gurgite moles, | fertur in arva furens cumulo camposque per omnes | cum stabulis armenta trahit.”

7. Cp. Virg.Aen.x. 305 “solvitur (sc. puppis Tarchontis) atque viros mediis exponit in undis, | fragmina remorum quos et fluitantia transtra | impediunt retrahitque pedes simul unda relabens.”

14. Cp. Virg.Aen.v. 478, “durosque reducta | libravit dextra media inter cornua caestus | arduus, effractoque illisit in ossa cerebro.”—Demetr. (de Eloc.§ 219), in quoting this passage of Homer, couples with itIl.xxiii. 116 πολλὰ δ’ ἄναντα κάταντα πάραντά τε δόχμιά τ’ ἦλθον (Virgil’s “quadripedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum,”Aen.viii. 596).—Another good Virgilian instance of adaptation of sound to sense isGeorg.iv. 174 “illi inter sese magna vi bracchia tollunt | in numerum, versantque tenaci forcipe ferrum.”

18.φημίseems (cp. the legal use ofaio) to approximate to the sense of κελεύω (as in Pind.Nem.iii. 28, Soph.Aj.1108). Either so, or (as Upton suggested) we may insert δεῖν, or the sense may simply be, “I say that the man who aims ...doescombine, etc. (i.e. when he knows his own business).”

19. For the constructionλέξιν καλὴν ἐν τῷ συντιθέναι τὰς φωνάςcp.Fragm.of Duris of Samos, Ἔφορος δὲ καὶ Θεόπομπος τῶν γενομένων πλεῖστον ἀπελείφθησαν, οὔτε γὰρ μιμήσεως μετέλαβον οὐδεμίας οὔτεἡδονῆς ἐν τῷ φράσαι, αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ γράφειν μόνον ἐπεμελήθησαν.

20. Here, again, the Aristotelian ‘mean’ may possibly be intended.

22.Theophrastus: for other references to Theophrastus in theScripta Rhetoricaof Dionysius seede Lysiacc. 6, 14;de Isocr.c. 3;de Din.c. 2;de Demosth.c. 3. The passage of Theophrastus which Dionysius has in mind here is no doubt that mentioned by Demetr.de Eloc.§ 173 ποιεῖ δὲ εὔχαριν τὴν ἑρμηνείαν καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα καλὰ ὀνόματα. ὡρίσατο δ’ αὐτὰ Θεόφραστος οὕτως· κάλλος ὀνόματός ἐστι τὸ πρὸς τὴν ἀκοὴν ἢ πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν ἡδύ, ἢ τὸ τῇ διανοίᾳ ἔντιμον.

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